1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data-processing device, a data-processing method, and a computer program, and is particularly fitted for storing data on a job flow where an error occurs while the job flow is executed.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, the functions of image-forming devices including a printer, a copier, a facsimile, and so forth have become increasingly sophisticated. Further, multifunction peripherals (MFPs) have become commercially practical, as the image-forming devices, where the MFP is achieved by integrating functions of the printer, the copier, the facsimile, and so forth into a single device. Further, the function of the image-forming device has become highly sophisticated so that image data is edited in the image-forming device and/or the image-forming device performs processing in conjunction with an external device. Further, an increasing number of MFPs that can perform a plurality of processing procedures (steps), as a single job flow, are used, so as to simplify business operations performed by a user working in an office.
According to a printer disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-181739, print data transmitted to the printer is deleted when the transmitted print data does not satisfy printing conditions. Further, if a specified printer is not ready to perform printing immediately, an information-processing device disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-346180 temporarily stores print data in a box area which is a storage area of the printer. Further, according to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-346180, the printer prints print data specified by a user when the printer is ready to perform the printing.
However, since data to be processed is deleted according to the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-181739, different data satisfying the printing conditions should be input. Therefore, when the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-181739 is used for a technology provided to process data by using a work flow including a plurality of processing steps and when an error occurs so that the data to be processed does not satisfy a condition for performing the processing steps, the data to be processed is deleted. Then, when restarting the processing performed based on the work flow after an error recovery is made, the processing is started from the step of inputting data, since the data to be processed is deleted. As a result, processing performed at steps that had already been executed before a step where it is determined that the data to be processed does not satisfy the processing condition is wasted.
Further, according to the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-346180, the print data is temporarily stored in the storage area of the printer. Therefore, if an error occurs halfway through the processing procedures of the work flow, the data which is to be processed halfway through the processing procedures is temporarily stored in the box area which is the storage area of the printer, as described above.
Particularly, in recent years, an increasing number of image-forming devices that can store a large amount of data are used. If an external device can access data stored in the image-forming device, the stored data can be changed. As a result, for example, when the print data is stored in the box area and the work flow is restarted without noticing the change in the print data, the processing procedures of the work flow are restarted based on the changed print data. Therefore, it becomes difficult to obtain a desired output result.
Subsequently, a method of storing data where an error occurs in an area inaccessible for an external device may be considered. However, according to the above-described method, even though a worker performing a step different from a step where the error occurs wants to correct the data, it is difficult for the external device to access the data. Therefore, a desired and appropriate correction is performed with difficulty.